Collapsible view finder for photographic cameras



Nov. 13, 1951 OPSTEINER 2,575,197

COLLAPSIBLE VIEW FINDER FOR PHOTOGRAPHIC CAMERAS Filed May 1, 1947 s Sheets-Sheet 1 [E] Illlllllllllllllllll m I JNVENTOR, a) S Y KSTf/A/[ Nov. 13, 1951 o. STEINER 2,575,197 v COLLAPSIBLE VIEW FINDER FOR PHOTOGRAPHIC CAMERAS Filed May 1, 1947 3 SheetsSheet 2 INVENTOR.

OSCAR STE/NER.

0. STEINER Nov. .13, 1951 COLLAPSIBLE VIEW FINDER FOR PHOTOGRAPHIC CAMERAS 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed May 1, 1947 INVENTOR. 05cm? STAVA/f/fi A 'ff'ya Patented Nov. 13, 1951 COLLAPSIBLE VIEW FINDER FOR PHOTO- GRAPHIC CAIVIERAS Oscar Steiner, Rochester, N. Y., assignor to Graflex, Inc., Rochester, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application May 1, 1947, Serial No. 745,182

12 Claims.

This invention relates to a collapsible view finder for photographic cameras, particularly of the folding type.

In order that the principle of the invention may be readily understood, there is disclosed a single embodiment thereof in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a right-hand side elevation of the camera showing it in open condition and the bellows fully extended;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail of a portion of the construction shown in Fig. 7, to represent more clearly the construction of the detent for the collapsible view finder but turned ninety degrees from its actual position;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail in elevation of the camera front;

Fig. 5 is a detail on a reduced scale of one of the swing members;

Fig. 6 is a sectional detail through Fig. 2 on the line t5 thereof; and

Fig. 7 is a vertical section through Fig. i on the line 'i|l thereof.

While not limited to such type, the invention herein disclosed pertains to a folding camera of the character shown in the United States patents to Oscar Steiner, No. 2,233,354, February 25, 1941, No. 2,264,777, December 2, 1941 and No. 2,282,263, May 5, 1942.

The camera box of a folding type of camera is shown at 223, and upon it is mounted a camera back member 2!, which need not be fully described herein. Attached to the camera box 22 is a shutter plate 22 which need not be described herein. The shutter release member is indicated at 23, the camera bellows at 24, the camera bed at 25, the camera front track at 26 and the camera rear track at 2?.

The camera tracks as and 2? are tied together by means of a pair of links 28, 28 having pivots 29, 23. The camera track 2% is provided with two racks A front view finder sliding member is shown at 35, a view finder peep sight at and bed supporting side arms at 33, 33. Mounted upon the front track 26 are front support members 34, 34 having a U-formation, as shown in Fig. 2. Attached to said members 34 by means of rivets 35, 35 are swing members 36, 35, Figs. 4 and 5, having a channel formation in which is carried a lens board support member indicated generally at 3?, Fig. 2, and provided with studs 38 that pass through grooves or slots 35 in said swing members 35, as shown in Fig. 5. The lens board support member 31 can be adjusted in a vertical direction and can be locked in place by clamp nuts 4Q, 48, Fig. 1. The swing members 3% are pivoted at the shoulder rivets and are free to rotate thereon within the limits of the slots 4| in the lower end of each of the swing members 36, as shown in Fig. 5. The swing members 36 are clamped in any desired or selected position by means of the two clamp nuts 42 threaded onto studs 43, as shown in Figs. 2 and 7.

The front track 26 is held in position on the bed 25 by means of rails 44, 44, which are provided with grooves into which keys .6 of the front track member 26 fit, as shown in Fig. '7.

Referring to Figs. 2, and 4 to 7, the lens board support member, indicated generally at 3? in Figs. 2 and 7, is made up of two channeled members 66, Si, best illustrated in Figs. 6 and 7, and which may also be described as being each of general rectangular form in section across the camera, with meeting peripheral edges as shown in Fig. 6, being a section on the line 66 of Fig. 2. The said members E55, 61 each have the form of a rectangular frame or open square, best evident from Figs. 6 and '7.

It will be noted that in Fig. 6 there is a space provided between the inner edge of the outer channeled member and the inner edge of the inner or rear channeled member El. This provides a groove 68, shown in Fig. 7 also, into which is fitted the lens board 89. A bellows mounting plate or member is also fitted to the lens board support member 3'! and is indicated at it, Figs. 6 and 7. The channeled members 66 and 61 and the bellows mounting plate or member iii are held together by a shoulder screw H and a nut 12. The channeled members 56 and 6? are suitably held apart by spacers 13. Also held to the lens board support member 3! by the shoulder screw it are the upper and lower lens board locking members or slide locks M and Ma, Fig 2, having angular slots 15 to guide the said locking members or slide locks 54 and into position for locking the lens board. The locking member 14a is shown in Fig. 2 in unlocked condition and the locking member 74 is shown in Fig. 2 in locked condition. In order to put the lens board in place, the locking member 14 is moved to the left, viewing Fig. 2 and the locking member E ia is moved to the right. When the lens board is in place, the locking member M is moved to the right, viewing Fig. 2, and the locking member Ma is moved to the left. Due to the angularity of the slots 15, the locking members M and Ma will be caused to move in an inward direction, thus clamping the lens board in place.

ber 3?, as most clearly shown .in :Fig. '2.

In Fig. 2, the slide lock or looking member 74 is, as stated, shown in lock-ed condition, and the slide lock or locking member I la is in the unlocked condition. To the vertical walls of the lens board support member 37, formed by the channeled members 66 and El, is attached a reiniorcin'g member 76, shown in Fig. '7, and to the said reinforcing member 16 is attached the stud 38, Fig. '7, previously referred to. The said stud 38 passes through holes in the channeled members 65 and 6'! into the grooves .or slots .39 in the swing members and provides means for attaching the lens board support member 3! to the swing members 36. The lens board support member 31 can be moved in "a vertilcal direction by loosening the nuts 40, and moving the entire lens board support assembly in a vertical direction within the distance established by the grooves or slots es and then can be held in that position by the clamp nuts 48.

'In :Fig. '2 is shown-a metal frame view finder made up of two U-shaped members, and to'which 'view finder this invention is particularly directed. The upper U-shaped member 31, previously referred to, collapses into a second Ueshaped member ll. In Fig. 2, the view finder is shown in the erected condition for use, wherein the U-shaped member 31 has been extended, Iashas also the U -shaped member 77, and th'e-peep-sight member '62 previously referredto,has been placed in the erected position. The said peep sight member 32 is pivoted on a screw 32'azonthercamera :back, asshown in Fig. 1. Theconstru'ction is such that the peep sight member 32 can be re- "tated aboutthescrew 32a'to "a folded position.

The :U-s'haped member l? is of a channel formationandthe U-shaped member 3| is fitted into thesaid channel, as mostclearly-shown.in Fig. 4. "When the U-shaped member .3! has been *assembled'with the U-shaped member H, they are fitted to openings in thelens board support mem- The U-shaped member 3! is provided'with'a-spring '53 (:Fig. 3) held to the lu shaped member 35 by a rivet l-'9. The lower .end ofthe spring '78 is'provi'ded with a dog at that engages an opening 9| of the U-shaped member H which is provided with an inwardly extending-finger "Ha that limits "the motion of "the U-shaped member H in .an

upward direction against :a detent :flnger 9-2, .two

a of which are provided at oppositesides of the camera. "Whenithe'view finderiis in thevcollapsed conditionan upward pull on'the :U-shaped memberisl will causetit to move in-zanupward direc- 'tion carrying with it the spring l3, and the latter will engage ithe openings! :of .the U +shaped member "H. Both U-shaped members will then be caused to move :in an *upward direction until stopped bythe finger Ha against the corresponding detent 92. The View finder will then bein the fu'lly opened condition.

There .Ti's iprovideiil :means to adjust the "view finder for parallax, it being made up of the 'U-shaped members 3i and 1?. .In the disclosed embodiment of1the1invention, there are employed .three"positions?for adjustment of'parallaxcorrection and the distances selected-are six feet,'fifteen the corresponding detent $2. In order properly to locate the view i-lnde'r inother positions, there are provided openings 'd-an'd iltl in'the u-shaped member Tl. The.opening fl l corresponds to the index lines, the line 96 corresponding to the infinity position, the line 9? corresponding to the fifteen-foot position, and the line 98 corresponding to the six-foot position. The third opening .93 isiprovided in the U-shaped member E? to hold the view finder in the fully erected position; that :is, in the infinity position and is engaged by the corresponding detent 92 when in that position. Each detent??? isprovided with a housing 99, Figs.

.3and 7,..madeas a short tube and into which is fitted. the corresponding detent 92, one on either 'si'deofthe camera, the left one only being shown.

A coil spring it!) (Fig.7) tends to force both the detent-s :92 in an-outward direction to engage the -holes%, 9 3 and 95, previously referred to on the opposite upright portions of the lower U-shaped member ll. Each tube 99 is held in position by a spring member l ill, most clearly shown in Fig. 7. I may pull up the upper frame member 3 I, causing the detent 9%! to engage in the hole 9-! of the .-lower frame member "El, and then continue pull- :ing'the two frame members upward only until-the detent 92 engages whicheverhole or 94 inthe frame member Tl corresponds to the parallax settlllgfitO which I desire to adjust the view finder.

.That is, it is notnecessary to pull the frame mem bers :up to the infinity position and then push them down again to whatever parallax position corresponds to the range desired.

As previously stated, the front support members 3 3, 34 are of a U-formation, as most clearly shown in'Figs. 2 and 7. The two vertical arms 3 3d are tied together by across or horizontal member 3 .41 which has also built thereto a clamp mechanism for clamping the camera front to the front track 2%.

Again referring to Fig. 7, underneath the cross member .355; is a plate I92 having downwardly extending portions on both sides of the'camera and indicated at I83, H13. Fitted into a suitable hole in the plate 592 and projecting through a slot we of the cross member 34a, is a shoulder rivet having a head E06. To the lower end of the said shoulder rivet ms is attached a'clamp member ml. While onlyone such clamp member it? is shown, there is one on each side of .cam or clamp plate I88 and through the plate H12, and on its lower end is fitted a nut l I I. The

. .camor clamp plate m3 is provided with indentations crrecesses E l2 into which are fitted balls H3, Fig. -7. -When the cam or clamp plate IE8 is in the position shown in Fig. '7, the balls H3 are in the indentations l E2 of the cam or clamp plate its, and the camera will be in unclamped position, and thereicrecan be moved along the front traokEfihut when the lever handle H19 is turned It is-desirable, with respect to a camera with V tion with respect to the body of the bolt when the bolt is turned, a difierent position will be assumed by the head of the bolt H thus providing means accurately to stop the swing member 36 when the correct position is found. The nut H5 is then tightened and the camera front will thus always be stopped in a direct vertical position.

Referring to Fig. 1, the side arms 33 are attached to ears H5, lie of the camera bed 25 by means of rivets Ill, Ill.

Having thus described one illustrative embodiment of the invention, it is to be understood that although specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being set forth in the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a photographic camera having a front standard, a view finder mounted upon said standard, said view finder consisting of upper and lower, open, frame members slidingly collapsible and extensible vertically one onto the other, and both slidingly collapsible vertically into the front standard, said frame members both having vertical portions slidable up and down upon each other, the said vertical portion of one of said frame members having an opening and the said vertical portion of the other said frame members having a projection to engage said opening when brought into transverse alignment therewith, whereby, when the opening and the projection are engaged with each other provision is thus made for conjoint vertical movement of both frame members in setting the view finder for use, the lower one of said frame members, in addition, having at least two openings vertically spaced from each other for correcting for parallax, and the said front standard having a movable projection to enter either one of said openings provided upon such lower frame memher, for correcting for parallax according to the distance of the camera from the object,

2. In a photographic camera having a front standard, a view finder mounted upon said standard, said view finder consisting of upper and lower, open, frame members slidingly collapsible and extensible vertically one into the other, and both slidingly collapsible vertically into the front standard, one of said frame members for the purpose of rendering the view finder collapsible and extensible being provided with an opening at an upwardly extending portion thereof, and the other frame member having a spring provided with a projecting formation adapted, as the view finder is drawn upward into operable position, to enter said opening in the other member, so that in the further setting movement of the view finder for use, the two frame members move as a unit, said lower frame member having a series of openings spaced for parallax correction lengthwise along an upwardly extending portion thereof, and a movable member carried by the front standard to engage any one of said openings according to the distance of the object to be photographed, from the camera.

3. In a photographic camera having a front standard, a view finder mounted upon said standard, said view finder consisting of upper and lower, open, frame members slidingly collapsible and extensible vertically one into the other, and both slidingly collapsible vertically into the front standard, the upper frame member being provided with a spring having a projecting formation and the lower frame member having an opening to be engaged by said projecting formation, said lower frame member having a series of openings spaced for parallax correction lengthwise along an upwardly extending portion thereof and a movable member carried by the front standard to engage any one of said openings, according to the distance of the object to be photographed from the camera.

4. In a photographic camera having a front standard, a view finder mounted upon said standard, said View finder consisting of upper and lower, open, frame members slidingly collapsible and extensible vertically one onto the other, and both slidingly collapsible vertically into the front standard, said view finder, for the purpose of correcting for parallax, having one of said frame members provided with a series of longitudinally spaced openings which are spaced for parallax correction along an upwardly extending portion thereof, and the front standard being provided with a spring pressed detent to engage any one of said longitudinally spaced openings.

5. In a photographic camera having a front standard, a view finder mounted upon said standard, said View finder consisting of upper and lower, open, frame members slidingly collapsible and extensible vertically one onto the other, and both slidingly collapsible vertically into the front standard, said view finder, for the purpose of correcting for parallax, having one of said frame members provided with a series of longitudinally spaced openings which are spaced for parallax correction along an upwardly extending portion thereof, and the front standard being provided with a spring pressed detent to engage any one of said longitudinally spaced openings, the frame member that is provided with the series of longitudinally spaced openings being also provided with another opening below said series of openings and the other frame member being provided with a spring having a projecting formation adapted, as the view finder is drawn upward into operable position, to enter said lowest opening, so that in the further setting movement of the view finder for use, the two frame members move as a unit.

6. In a photographic camera having camerafront supporting means, a view finder mounted upon the said camera-front supporting means, said view finder comprising an upper, inverted U-shaped. member and a lower inverted U-shaped member, each complete in itself to constitute an inverted U-shaped member, each member thus presenting two vertical legs, the legs of said members having a vertically telescoping relation with respect to each other, and also movable together, to a limited extent, at least one of said legs of one of said members having at least three openings vertically spaced along its length, at least two of such three openings above the lowermost opening being for the purpose of correcting for parallax, the corresponding leg of the other of said members having a spring with a projecting formation to engage said lowermost opening, so that when so engaged the view finder may be drawn up into fully opened condition, and movaware? sable means upon .said camera-:front supporting -means to engage ,any one :of :the said openings provided for parallax correction upon sufficient .relative movement of the view finder from its fully opened position.

7.1n a photographic camera having camera- ;front supporting imeans, :a view finder .mounted upon the said camera-front supporting means, said view finder comprising an upper, inverted au-shapedmember and a lower, inverted U- shaped member, each complete in :itself to .constitutean nverted U-shaped'member, each member thus presenting ,two vertical legs, the legs :of said :membersjhaving a vertically telescoping .irelation with respectito eachother, and alsoimov- .able together, to a limited-extent, at least one of said legs of onepfsaid members having atleast threeopenings verticallyspaced along itslength, atieast two of such three openings above the lowermost opening beingzfor the purpose of correcting for parallax, the corresponding leg of the other of said members having a spring with a projecting formation to engage said lowermost opening, so that when so engaged the view finder may be drawn up into fully opened condition, and spring-pressed horizontally-movable detent mounted in the camera-front supporting means, to engage any one of the openings proadded for parallax correction.

8.111 a photographic camera having a front standard, a view finder mounted upon said standard, said view finder consisting of upper and lower, open, frame members slidingly collapsible and extensible vertically one onto the other, and bothslidingly collapsible vertically into the front standard, wherein upward pull upon the upper frame member will cause it to move in an upward direction, cooperating formations upon said two frame members respectively that automatically engage each other whenthe upper frame member has been pulled upwardly to a predetermined extent, so that upon continued upward pull upon the upper frame member, both members will move upward together until the said view finder is in fully opened, operable condition, and interengageable, cooperating formations upon the lower of said frame members and the front standard, for correcting for parallax, the formations for such latter purpose upon the lower of said frame members being located higher than the formation on said lower frame member that engages the formations upon the upper of said frame members when the two frame members are moved together into fully opened, operable condition, whereby to correct for parallax both of said frame members are moved relatively until the desired parallex-correcting formation is engaged.

.9. In a photographic camera having a front standard, a view finder mounted upon said standard, said View finder consisting of upper and lower, open, frame members slidingly collapsible and extensible vertically one into the other, and both slidingly collapsible vertically into the front standard, one of said frame members forithe purposeof rendering the view finder collapsible and extensible being provided with an opening at an upwardly extending portion thereof, and the other frame member having a spring provided with a projecting formation adapted, as the View finder is drawn upward into operable position, to enter said opening in the other member, so "that in the further setting movement of the view finder for use, the two frame members move as :aunit, said lower frame member having a series tof openings spaced for parallax correction lengthwise along an upwardly extending portion thereof,and a spring-pressed detent mounted in a horizontal position upon the front standard'to engage any one of said openings, according to "the distance of the object to be photographed, from the camera.

10. A view finder for a photographic camera in accordance with claim 5, but wherein the frame member that is provided with the series of longitudinally spaced openings is the lower frame member, and wherein the frame member that is provided with a spring having a projecting formation is the upper frame member.

11. A view finder for a photographic camera in accordance with claim 2, but wherein it is the upper of said frame members that has a spring provided with a projecting formation and it is the lower of said frame members that has an opening to be engaged by the said projecting formation 'of such spring.

12. Ina photographic camera having camerafront supporting means, a view finder mounted upon the said camera-front supporting means, said viewfinder comprising an upper, inverted U-shaped member and a lower inverted U-shaped :member, each complete in itself to constitute "an inverted U -shaped' member, each member thus presenting two vertical legs, the legs of said members having a vertically telescoping relation with respect to each other, and also movable togetheigto a limited extent, the legs of atleast one pair of telescoping legs of said two members having respectively an opening and a dog to engage said opening, so "that when so engaged and the upper of said two members is pulled sufficiently upward, the two'members move upward together into fully extended position, one of said two members and the 'cameraefront supporting means having respectively a series of vertically aligned openings and a detent movable "to engage whichever one of said series of vertically aligned op nings corresponds to'the proper parallax setting to which the view-finder should be adjusted to establish correction for parallax according to the distance of the object from the camera.

OSCAR STEINER.

REFERENCES orrnn The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 753,800 Locke l Mar. 1, 1904 92 0,4415 Hammond Sept. 13, 1919 1,239,499 Diets Sept. 11, 1917 1,684,821 Eastman Sept. 18, 1928 1,833,459 Green Nov. 24, 1931 1,886,951 Gutermuth Nov. 8, 1932 2,211,995 Walker Aug. 20, 1940 2,233,352 Steiner Feb. 25, 1941 2,264,777 Steiner Dec. 2, 1941 2,282,263 Steiner lviay 5, 1942 2,293,598 Drucker Aug. 18, 1942 2,319,681 Heckethorn May 18, 1943 2,327,859 Bolsey Aug. 24, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 341,858 Germany Oct. 10, 1921 

